The Wisdom of the Moon
From the Happiness PhD Project with Jackson Kerchis...
What is the thread that runs through everything?
On a crisp autumn morning the falling leaves ride the breeze softly to the ground. Golden rays pour heavy over a fire-colored tree. The moon sits in a clear blue sky.
As I gaze into the face of the moon I think of the sameness and constancy of it all.
For millions of years the Earth and Moon have done their coupled dance.
Entire nations rose and fell, generations came and went, and many billions of human lives, each with its own infinite history of worries, loves, stories, and experiences – all this change but the Moon and Earth just kept going like the steady rhythm of a beating drum.
Identifying with this cosmic perspective, I feel a sense of peace and wonder. My stresses and anxieties seem to dissolve in this perspective of timelessness. And I ask the question — What is the thread that runs through everything?
What is it that connects me to the beginningless and endless turning of the moon? And to the squirrel that rustles in the tall branches in my field of vision just below? And to the nearly infinite other individuals who have looked up at the moon over thousands of years?
We are the universe – we are the universe experiencing itself. This is the only point of reference that resonates with this question. I mean, what else could we be?
And as I touch this cosmic perspective, even just for a moment, I find that any worry, concern, or apprehension is quite silly. And I feel as though I can put down my burdens and rest comfortably in the support of the entire universe.
In the spirit of this meditative experience, I offer 3 lessons in homage to the moon.
Beyond words, images, and symbols…
In Zen Buddhism there is a common story that says when the wise man points at the moon, an idiot looks at his finger.
A religious belief is not a statement about Reality, but a hint, a clue about something that is a mystery, beyond the grasp of human thought. In short, a religious belief is only a finger pointing to the moon. Some religious people never get beyond the study of the finger. Others are engaged in sucking it. Others yet use the finger to gouge their eyes out. These are the bigots whom religion has made blind. Rare indeed is the religionist who is sufficiently detached from the finger to see what it is indicating - these are those who, having gone beyond belief, are taken for blasphemers. – Tony de Mello
This moon story is meant to illustrate that our conceptions, stories, and symbols are not “it”. They are metaphors pointing to some infinitely complex reality beyond words. And it is a caution to not attach to dogmatic views. As Joseph Campbell explains it – don’t go to the restaurant and eat the menu.
Go beyond words and images to the experience of truth (whatever that truth is to you).
Transcendent awareness…
“Like a full moon in the dark of the night sky…” This is a relatively common image to describe the Buddha, the sage, or an enlightened person.
Imagine this bright spot sitting in the darkness. It is untouched by anything – it is a symbol of equanimity. And it is always there, even when we cannot see it.
This image is evocative of enlightenment experience – awareness is always with us even when we lose sight of it. And in that seat of awareness we can embody the stillness, luminosity, and beyond-ness of the full moon in the night sky.
Renewed intention…
In the Zen Buddhist tradition most groups have a full moon ceremony which corresponds with the lunar calendar (Ryaku Fusatsu). Historically, this was an opportunity for monks to renew their vows and intentions every month or so.
Why not use the moon as a reminder in this same way today? A lunar cycle occurs every 29.5 days (hence the origins of our 30 ish day months). Every full moon – or even every time you stop to notice the moon – let that be a reminder to give pause. And consider how you’re living now.
Perhaps the moon has a lot to teach us about happiness and the good life.
Yours happiness nerd,
Jackson